Another national icon falls

COVER STORY

THE late Sir Paulias Matane was an outstanding statesman as described by many.
To his family “he was the best.”
Second eldest son, Naril Matane recalls how well his late father had taken care of his family despite his busy schedules.
Growing up with his mum late Lady Kaludia and his siblings, Naril saw less and less of his father.
“He travels for study and work; despite that he was the best dad.
“Most times, my father would be riding his motorbike or walking to do school inspections; we would not see him for days and later he will come back home.”
Late Sir Paulias loves reading and writing, not to mention music.
That explains the 44 plus books he had written.
His first autobiography titled ‘My Childhood in New Guinea (1972)’ was one of the first autobiographies to be written by a Melanesian; it has been on the curriculum in PNG since the 1970s.
He also wrote a series of books written in simple English.
Late Sir Paulias, 90, passed away at his Viviran home in East New Britain’s Gazelle district earlier this month.
Gazelle MP Jelta Wong said late Sir Paulias is a living example of history that will never be spoken of again or documented.
He said the former Governor General left a legacy that will be hard to match, let alone surpass.
Late Sir Paulias was the country’s eight governor general prior to that was a teacher, school inspector, diplomat, departmental head, world traveler, author and orator.
His wife late Lady Kaludia passed away on Dec 20, 2016.
They had three children of their own – Edward, Naril and Margaret and adopted two others.
Governor General Sir Bob Dadae says late Sir Paulias served his country and people with the highest distinction.
Sir Bob said: “Throughout his life, he had served both the public and sectors with the highest distinction often as the first Papua New Guinean to occupy positions of responsibility before and soon after independence. He started off as a teacher became a school inspector and from there went on to become a founding member of the Public Service Commission, acting Director of Department of Lands, Survey and Mines responsible for the selection of Tabubil township and Waigani/Gerehu town planning (Port Moresby). In 1971 Grand Chief Sir Paulias was appointed the first Papua New Guinean Secretary of a government department, the then Department of Business Development now Department of Commerce and Industry. In 1975 he became the first PNG ambassador to the USA, United Nations, and High Commissioner to Canada. He was appointed Secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1980.
Following his retirement in 1985, Grand Chief Sir Paulias pursued other interests including as patron, chairman and director of various organizations including as President of PNG Censorship Board, Director- Board of Trustees, National Libraries and Archives, Director – National Museum and Art Gallery, Chairman of Community Consultative Committee of ENBP Autonomy, Chairman of Asia Pacific Leadership Forum and producer of the weekly ChitChat program on EMTV.
“Grand Chief Sir Paulias Matane has received many awards including winner of the Forsythe Prize (1952), Winston Churchill Scholarship Award (1976), United Nations Peace Medal (1985), American Biographical Institute Man of the Year 2007 and Paula Harris Fellow (2007). He was also bestowed academic awards by the University of Technology as Honorary Doctor of Technology (1985) and University of PNG as Honorary Doctor of Philosophy and Honorary Doctor of Letters.
2021 has been a bad year.
The country mourned the loss of shining beacons in the likes of late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare (February), Sir Silas Atopare, Sir Pita Lus and Sir Paulias Matane.
Sir Paulias was born on Sept 21, 1931 at Viviran village, Toma-Vunadidir local government area of Gazelle district, East New Britain. The boy Paulias ToNguna did not go to school until he as 17 years old when he enrolled at Toma village school, later renamed Tauran Primary School.
After completing his primary schooling, young Paulias went onto Kerevat high school not too far from Toma.
From Kerevat the education journey in 1956 took him to Sogeri, Central, where he received teacher training with other pioneer PNG national teachers like the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare and Sir Ronald ToVue.
Public service
After completing teacher training at Sogeri, Paulias Matane returned to teach in a number of schools in ENB including Toma, Tavui and Kalamanagunan.
He also established what is today Hoskins High School in neighboring West New Britain.
His teaching carrier took Matane to parts of the Highlands region on the mainland PNG including the Southern Highlands.
During 1963 Matane attended Port Moresby Teachers’ College as well as taking school Inspector’s theoretical and practical training in Mendi, SHP.
After his training he worked as an inspector of schools in various parts of then Australia Trust Terriory of Papua and New Guinea.
From 1975-1976 Sir Paulias served as the first Papua New Guinean ambassador to the United States following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
He was also PNG’s ambassador to the United Nations from 1975 and in 1979 was elected as a vice-president of the General Assembly.
During the mid-1980s Sir Paulias was Secretary of PNG’s Departmen of Foreign Affairs during which he led delegations to Australia to discuss that country’s foreign aid to PNG and negotiated with Indonesia regarding border incursions and refugee problems.
Sir Paulias served as PNG’s eighth governor-general from June 29, 2004 to Dec 13, 2010.
Author
A prolific author, Sir Paulias Matane has written 44 books in which he has deliberately used extremely simple English, focusing in part on his own overseas travels, including three on the State of Israel.
His writing is intended to persuade Papua New Guineans that books are a useful source of information and that they should not regard them as something only for foreigners.
His memoir My Childhood in New Guinea has been on the school curriculum since the 1970s.
As well, he was a long-time contributor and columnist for The National.
Upon his retirement from public life, Sir Paulias has written a book titled From jungle to Government House and back to jungle”
The book, yet to be published, is with Ted Wolfers in Wollongong University and is three parts – childhood, work and return to village.
Family
Sir Paulias Matane was married to Lady Kaludia Matane who served her country with great distinction and passed away on Dec 20, 2016.
They have three children of their own – Edward, Naril and Margaret. As well, they adopted two other children, Doksa from Minj, Jiwaka and Maram a lady from Toma, ENB.
Sir Paulias is a family man who encourages his children and their children to do well in the school and workplace to do themselves proud and good citizens.
Dedicated service to PNG
During his working life as a teacher, school inspector, diplomat, departmental head and governor-general, Sir Paulias was very committed to his work.
Whatever the task, big or small, when he begins work on something he ensures it is done properly and completed.
His is a very time conscious person and does things strictly on time.
During his working life and even today in his retirement he sticks to doing things on a timely manner.
He maintains at all times that time is of great essence and waits for no one and cannot be reversed.
Sir Paulias’ long dedicated service to PNG will not be matched my many.
Obedient, honest, hardworking, courteous and respectful to others and rule the law were his qualities.

• Reports by GYNNIE KERO, KELVIN JOE and ROSELYN ELLISON. Pictures from Government House and by KENNEDY BANI, ROSELYN ELLISON, and LUKE MAIBOGU

He had superior work ethic, says protocol officer

FORMER governor-general Sir Paulias Nguna Matane was a dedicated man who always honoured his commitment and fight against corruption, according to a Government House officer.
Mathew Ding, senior protocol officer to the governor-general, said when Parliament appointed Sir Paulias as the eighth governor-general in 2004, his first message to the country including staff from the Government House was to remove corruption in every level of government and state agencies.
He told The National that Sir Paulias said, “I will go to the Government House with a comb, a brush and a broom to ensure everyone is working effectively to improve its standards would closely monitor public services work.
Ding said his words had brought fear to the Government House because the officers thought he would sack them and get new staff.
“Instead, he made sure that every officer in the Government House was taken good care of,” Ding said.
“Sir Paulias was a man with dignity and worked outstandingly while he looked after people who served under him well.”
Dang said during the state funeral in Port Moresby on Sunday that he was privileged and happy to serve Sir Paulias for six years from 2004 to 2010. He had also accompanied the former governor-general to many countries during his official and leisure trips.
Sir Paulias had started his public service career as a primary school teachers, before becoming a senior bureaucrat and diplomat.
The apex of his long and distinghuished service to the country was was his election as vice regal.
He was the first Papua New Guinean ambassador to United States of America, United Nations, Mexico and high commissioner to Canada.
He served as chairman of the Asian and Pacific Group of Nations. In 1979, he was elected as one of the the 21 vice presidents of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and chaired many UNGA meetings.
Housing Minister Justin Tkatchenko described Sir Paulias as “king author” for writing 55 inspirational books of which, 54 were published.
According to his family, Sir Paulias traveled to all the continents because he had passion for walking, mountain climbing, exploring, reading, writing, public speaking, lecturing, singing, playing squash, the piano and organ besides volunteering.
Sir Paulias, 90, passed away peacefully at his Viviran village in East New Britain on Saturday, Dec 11.

ENB mourns passing of great role model

SIR Paulias Matane’s casket was officially handed over to the East New Britain government and the immediate family by the State in a ceremony held at Vunapope in Kokopo on Monday afternoon.
Sir Paulias was welcomed by families and the people of ENB at the Tokua airport with a joint parade by police, the correction service.
The casket was greeted traditionally welcome by the provincial tumbuan then escorted in a convoy to the Vunapope Catholic Archdiocese for the official handover programme.
As part of the state funeral programme, escorting the casket from Port Moresby to Kokopo were the PNG DefenCe Force deputy commander Commodore Philip Polewara, Police Commissioner David Manning, and the representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
There to receive the former vice regal were ENB governor Nakikus Konga, provincial executive council members, relatives from Viviran, Toma-Vunadidir local level government (LLG) and Gazelle district representatives.
While handing over the body Polewara said: “Sir Paulias was one of the greatest who now lives behind many legacies and it was an honour for the State party to travel with him and hand over the body to his people.”
Governor Konga said the provincial government and people ENB welcomed the casket and the gathering was to pay respect to a person of the highest order a patriot with so much passion and love for this country.
Konga said Sir Paulias was a genuinely warm individual and more importantly a loving husband and a father.
“He is a great man who has reached the highest position in our land as the queen’s representative but had never let go of his humble roots.”
Kokopo mourns

People of Kokopo district have passed their heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the late Sir Paulias Matane.
Speaking on behalf of the people of Kokopo, local MP Emil Tammur said that the late Sir Paulias contributed enormously to nation-building and was amongst the pioneer leaders who helped put this country on the world map.
Tammur said this during the handover of the body of late Sir Paulias from the State to his immediate family at Vunapope in Kokopo on Monday afternoon.
“Today, I join the people of this beautiful province and this great country of Papua New Guinea to mourn the passing of a great man, a mentor of the nation and a great role model for all of us to emulate,” said Tammur.
“From humble beginnings of the Toma valley to the pillars of United Nations, the late Sir Paulias stood strong as a shining beacon for the young country which had just broken free from colonisation and embark on a journey of Independence,” Tammur said
Tammur further stated that Sir Paulias death was a great loss for the people of ENB and that he was God’s chosen leader and a strong Christian who leave through his faith until his dying moments.
Tammur also added that, the late Sir Paulias upheld the principles of Christianity in his work and his family, he died without his beloved wife the late Claudia who had passed on earlier who was his companion in most of his walks of life.
“The late Sir Paulias is well known for his numerous travels to the Holy Land, specific places of biblical importance such as the birth place of Jesus Christ in Nazareth.
His appointment as the eighth governor-general is seen as icing on the cake for an illustrious career in the public service and the nation building, starting from a bush material classroom to the high offices of the United Nation and finally as the wild legal office of this nation, “he added.

He said the late Sir Paulias left behind a legacy that will be very difficult to match, and that it is a legacy that will be made as a challenge for all of us.
“Today, as we mourn the passing of a respected leader, we must ask ourselves as to what we should do to equal the achievements of this great man, it is my sincere hope that many more people will rise up and continue the legacy and represent our province as strong leaders, beaurecrats and diplomats,” Tammur added.
Rabaul MP Dr Allan Marat also expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family and relatives of the late Sir Paulias.
Dr Marat said Sir Paulias was an educationist icon in his heart, mind and will.
He said that from Kerevat Central School (Kerevat National High School) in 1955 Sir Paulias persued training at Sogeri in 1956 to become a teacher.
“The late Sir Paulias had a profound faith in education as a transforming agent for progressive development into prosperity for Papua New Guinea,” Dr Marat said.
The people of ENB bid farewell to their champion and a leader who lived a simple and humble life despite his status when they laid him to rest at his home village at Viviran near Tauran Primary School on Tuesday, Dec 21.